Nong Khiaw & Muang Ngoy - a collection of fat falang musings and associated gibber

Hello family and friends alike

Back from Nong Khiaw, Muang Ngoy and the first dam on the Nam Ou after trekking, kayaking, boating and overnight in a Kammu hill tribe village called Don Khoun.  Challenging stuff in searing heat and humidity, not the least of which was a bucket bath at the end and sleeping on the floor in a stifling hot room.

Further learnings:

* our guides were Tong and Soung of the Hmong tribe
* the average number of children per family for the Hmong is 7-11 (convenience to be found)
* Soung has 22 siblings and his father three wives
* Kammu food was delicious - smoky dried chicken, bamboo shoots and chilli, plus sticky rice
* all Lao and ethnic groups in Laos have good hair and nice hairdos
* there are still plenty of villages without electricity or a water supply as where Tong grew up
* paddy rice growers took the easy option, try mountain rice farming if you dare
* public shaming of the husband is ok if he has given the son a bad haircut
* who doesn't miss being woken up every 5 minutes from 4:30am by a thousand or so rooster calls
* deep fried buffalo lips with garlic takes some licking (like angels dancing on your tongue, thanks David H)
* it's clear now why bamboo doesn't take over the land - they eat the shoots and so did we
* I might have had a minor tanty when a restaurant had no cold beer and it arrived with a glass of ice
* apparently having multiple wives and many children makes you richer (I'm sure spiritually)
* fish pedicure/spa can be had for free in the Nam Ou River (which is like saying river Ou river)
* the local motor cycle gang in Nong Khiaw favour the Postie bike in a variety of colours, accessories and muffler sizes
* on a tough trek to the 100 waterfalls our local guide checked and listened to his phone, brandished a machete, made bamboo walking sticks for us, walked up hill and down dale through creeks, paddy fields, over fences, up slippery rocks, through rapids and brushed off leeches all in a pair of thongs
* meanwhile I went arse-up in a paddy field, ruined a good pair of boots and Brenda assembled a lovely collection of leeches

Yeah, I know, we're going soft...

Look out for the next edition brought to you by Beer Lao.